Welcome to the
Once A Writer Workshop!

WHAT DO I GET FOR A ONCEAWRITER.COM PAID SUBCRIPTION?

You get eight writer workshops modeled after the onsite courses I taught over a period of more than twenty years. The first four are primers, designed for beginning writers attempting to start a career in freelance writing, followed by other topics from which any writer can pick and choose. In addition, the paid membership site allows for follow-up through the subscription period, by e-mail, phone, text or a combination. I’ll also take a look at your finished work and give you honest, constructive feedback in addition to providing requested samples of queries, published articles and book proposals.

WHAT WILL I LEARN IF I SUBSCRIBE?

For many writers of any genre, fiction or fact, there are certain elements in freelance writing that they need most. For example, you might know how to find the perfect idea for your story pitch, but do you know how to determine if that pitch is ready to market? Can you write a powerful one-page query letter? Do you know when and how to produce a book proposal? Best ways to deal with rejection? Your most effective writer tools of the trade? How to hone your idea and find a slant?

Freelance writers are, like their work, complex and multi-varied so it’s impossible to address every subject. That’s why there’s a section for your suggestions, comments and requests for new and more specialized courses as we grow and improve over time.

The following courses, in easy-to-read, visually enhanced Word Documents are for beginning and advanced writers who want to market what they write, yet may not need an entire course from start to finish.

So whether you’re freelancing fulltime, dipping your toe in the writing business for fun, retired and finally want to follow your ambitions as a writer, there’s a little something for nearly every scribe here.

FOR BEGINNING & ADVANCED WRITERS

COURSE # 1: Taking the Plunge – What It Takes to Be a Freelance Writer & Tools of the Trade
A half-hour primer with mini-quiz on whether or not you are suited to the freelance style, what you can expect to earn, what other freelancers say, where the business stands today in terms of making a living, fact vs. fiction.

COURSE # 2: What’s your plan? Specialist Vs Generalist; Pros and Cons of Each
Why it’s important to know who you are and what you wish to write, key elements that make a specialist vs a generalist, advantages and disadvantages of each group, where the markets are today and how to break in.

COURSE #3: Where Do Ideas Come From and Will They Sell?
Identifying the “idea factory,” where best ideas come from, what makes an idea marketable and how to find the right “slant” for your story pitch. Includes a quick and simple but effective tool in honing your idea into bite-sized pieces that sell.

COURSE #4: Learning the Markets – Why Doing Your Homework is Essential to Success
Why researching your idea is critical to its sale, how to find out if your idea is really new and what to do about it if it isn’t.

COURSE #5: How to Write a Query Letter
Query letters defined with all elements explained, what makes a “good” query and why you need to know how to spot them.

COURSE #6: The Beast: Best Ways to Deal with Rejection
The truth about rejections including most common reasons, ways to avoid and ways to deal when they arrive – as they inevitably will. Knowing “the numbers game” and other tips on countering rejection.

COURSE #7: So You Want to Write a Book: Six Things You Need to Know
Tips on what you need to know in advance of writing a book, publishing options today including print-on-demand (POD) and e-books, and what to expect once your book is complete.

COURSE #8: Writing the Book Proposal
Key elements in writing a book proposal that has the best chance of selling, how to format, what to expect, and common mistakes writers make. Book proposal samples provided.

About the Author:Freelance writer Marie Bartlett has been at the business end of writing and publishing for more than twenty years. A member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA) she has four nonfiction books, one historical novel and hundreds of published articles in magazines, newspapers and trade journals to her credit. Her full professional background can be found at www.onceawriter.com